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Public Testimony

Public testimony: Vegeta Farrell, neighboring mosque administrator, supports project

New York City Council · Jul 1, 2026 · starts 1:54:07 · 3 min 38 sec

Vegeta Farrell, administrator of neighboring Masjid Attaqwa and 20-year community resident, testifies in support. She seconds earlier testimony about Muslim communities being pushed out of the neighborhood, praises Khalifa's decades of work and self-sacrifice, and thanks Khalil Companies for the partnership.

Farah N. Louis

I'm going to call the last panel.

Farah N. Louis

Marcus Lambert, Sahar Ali, Khalid Sabir, and the last two.

Farah N. Louis

Unknown caller 7990 and unknown caller 8552.

Farah N. Louis

And you can press star six to unmute yourself.

Farah N. Louis

Let's start with Marcus Lambert.

Farah N. Louis

Marcus, if you're on.

Farah N. Louis

We would love to hear from you.

Farah N. Louis

All right, we'll hear from Sahar Ali.

Farah N. Louis

Sahar Ali.

Farah N. Louis

All right, we'll hear from Khalid Sabir.

Farah N. Louis

So breathe.

Farah N. Louis

Khalid, are you on?

Farah N. Louis

And if you're on, you can press star six to unmute yourself.

Farah N. Louis

Unknown caller 7990 if you're on.

Farah N. Louis

I feel like I'm on a radio show.

Farah N. Louis

I used to work at Hot 97.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

Yeah, I agree.

Farah N. Louis

Oh, she's there.

Farah N. Louis

Okay.

Farah N. Louis

Is this unknown caller 7990?

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

Yes, yes.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

All right.

Farah N. Louis

If you could please identify yourself first and last name and you may begin your testimony.

Farah N. Louis

You have two minutes.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

Sure, sure.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

My name is Vegeta Farrell.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

I'm one of the administrators for a neighboring mosque, the Khalifa, Masjid Attaqwa.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

I have been living in the community for about some 20 years now.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

I just want to say that I'm very happy for this day and, you know, that Khalifa is, you know, getting to finally build.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

And I want to second what Ms.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

Yvonne Muhammad said, just that the fact that Khalifa, Takwa, there's also the San, there's other mosques and, you know, Muslim community, you know, Muslim neighbors in the neighborhood.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

who have been pushed out over, I've been working in this monster since 2010, and it has drastically changed the present.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

So, I mean, I know that that's, you know, more of a region that's not that kind of meeting, but if, you know, continued efforts can be, you know, if we can just continue to galvanize, you know, efforts to preserve what is left.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

It's beautiful and I'm just so glad that it's well deserved.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

All second and thirding what everybody, I know it's not a word, but seconding and thirding what everybody else has said as far as like

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

the amount of work and grit and self-sacrifice that communities like Khalifa have put in for decades.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

May there just be more and more to come and for the generations after also to maintain and grow from that space.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

So thank you to Khalil Company and everybody else who's working on this.

Farah N. Louis

Thank you so much.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

I think it's a hard out.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

At least he should be around.

Member of the Public - Vegeta Farrell

But I guess she, you know.

Farah N. Louis

You may want to text her until she has a few seconds.

Farah N. Louis

Thank you.

Farah N. Louis

I appreciate it.